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Poppy
Pages In This Document
General
92% of the morphine compounds are located in the capsule of the mature poppy plant and it is the poppy ‘straw’ comprising the capsule and top 4 inches of the stem that is the target part. The seeds are a by-product of morphine poppy production and used in the culinary market.
Poppies have been cultivated very successfully in Scotland and trials showed they were well suited to lighter land in Morayshire. The yields from these trials were high and were well regarded by the contract agents.
Please remember that special consideration must be given to the VAT aspects of diversification as the new activity may not be treated the same as the existing farm business from a VAT standpoint.
Market
Morphine produced from poppies is processed for medical use. The market for morphine is strictly regulated and processing of poppy straw to produce the drug component is licensed to only one company in the UK.
Contracts for cultivation are also controlled and managed by one company – Johnson Matthey.
Physical Requirements
The poppy crop benefits from a fine firm seedbed and the crop should be sown at 10 – 20 mm. The target plant population is 90 plants/m2, and with small seed sizes, seed rates are only 2 kg/ha.
Approximately 130 kg N/ha is recommended with 30 kg/ha in the seedbed and the remainder at 8 – 10 true leaves. An application of sulphur may also be beneficial, in addition to P and K.
A strategy of using glyposate may be taken to control germinating weeds and typically Reglone (diquat) is applied when the plants are small - at 2 true leaves.
It is important that no oil is used with the Reglone to avoid crop damage. A number of herbicides are approved for use during growth of the crop. Optimising sowing date for quick establishment will encourage better competitiveness with weeds. Downy mildew can be an issue for poppies and fungicide applied if necessary.
The poppy crop should be desiccated when the seed is a wine colour. Harvesting is carried out by a specialised combine harvester. This is supplied by Johnson Matthey. Post harvest, the seed needs to be dried and made ready for uplift from farm.
Costs
The following costing information is general and current prices should be sought for budgeting purposes.
Capital Costs
No information available
Running Costs
No information available
Returns
Contracts are restricted to specific parts of England, despite the good yields achieved in Scottish trials and the Edinburgh location of processing.
The agent would require a minimum hectarage of poppy to justify movement of the specialised harvester to Scotland.
Constraints
The poppy ‘straw’ is formed into pellets ready for morphine extraction.
Processing is carried out by a single plant, based in Edinburgh, where a high level of security is implemented.
Training
No information available
Grants
No information available
Further Information
Useful Links
Johnson Matthey Macfarlan Smith, Unit 3, Shurnhold Business park, Bath Road, Melksham, Wiltshire SN12 8DF. Tina.lucas@macsmith.com